trail running, I havent wanted to run on roads any more- at least til now.
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| Theta 5K course at Stanford University |
The idea started when I ran one of my typical trails in Alum Rock park earlier in the week, and I decided to do it a bit faster than normal. On the way back I passed this teenaged runner, who i guess didnt like being passed, so he was breathing down my neck the whole way back. The result was I had my fastest time by a minute (21:40) for a loop which is a bit under 5K.
So today I ran the Theta Breakers 5K on the Stanford campus, but I had a really hard time.
The pace was much faster than I am used to as a trail runner, which was nice/different. But around 15mins in, I had a very strong tachycardia (around 250 bpm) so I stopped, curled up in a ball and did my Vagal maneuvers. Normally, I can stop a tachycardia almost immediately by doing this. But today, it took several minutes each time to get back to normal sinus rhythm. This was kinda discouraging, since each time I would be passed by a dozen people.
I was planning on running this 5K as a benchmark, and then running another in the late winter to judge my fitness, but now I dont know. My goal was 25mins, with a secondary goal of 27mins, and a fallback goal of anything under 30mins, but with the three tachycardias, I was just over 30mins. My Garmin tells me my moving time was 25:53, so maybe I should just try to beat that.
As a sidebar- I had a bit of a prodrome today. I wasnt feeling 100% heart wise earlier in the day, so I am not surprised I had a rough time of it. Also since I had several strong tachycardias today (three during the race, and a fourth a couple of minutes after I finished) I have been feeling pretty fatigued with some chest pain.
I think the bottom line is I have to stay away from high intensity running.
So today I ran the Theta Breakers 5K on the Stanford campus, but I had a really hard time.
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| three tachycardias during the race |
The pace was much faster than I am used to as a trail runner, which was nice/different. But around 15mins in, I had a very strong tachycardia (around 250 bpm) so I stopped, curled up in a ball and did my Vagal maneuvers. Normally, I can stop a tachycardia almost immediately by doing this. But today, it took several minutes each time to get back to normal sinus rhythm. This was kinda discouraging, since each time I would be passed by a dozen people.
I was planning on running this 5K as a benchmark, and then running another in the late winter to judge my fitness, but now I dont know. My goal was 25mins, with a secondary goal of 27mins, and a fallback goal of anything under 30mins, but with the three tachycardias, I was just over 30mins. My Garmin tells me my moving time was 25:53, so maybe I should just try to beat that.
As a sidebar- I had a bit of a prodrome today. I wasnt feeling 100% heart wise earlier in the day, so I am not surprised I had a rough time of it. Also since I had several strong tachycardias today (three during the race, and a fourth a couple of minutes after I finished) I have been feeling pretty fatigued with some chest pain.
I think the bottom line is I have to stay away from high intensity running.
Wow, 250 bpm, that must feel really weird. Hope you keep this condition under control and get the proper medical advice about how far you can push your body.
ReplyDeleteGlad that you are able to run like your reports show, and reflect about such an issue so others may learn from it. Thanks for sharing!
Jean.
thanks for your comment on my blog. i'll look into that. high intensity running is overrated. if you haven't read his stuff already, I suggest Dr. Phil Maffetone. He is all about building base, and avoiding the high intensity.
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